Shattered Twilight
by Rei-Kuhori
Summary: When a quiet trip turns into a murder frenzy, the Reikai Tantei have to figure out who among them is killing their freinds--before being killed themselves.
1. Chapter I

Okay, everyone. This is my first venture into the horror genre, and I'm horrible at first chapters. So please forgive me, and give me a chance, okay?

* * *

**Shattered Twilight: Chapter I**

* * *

Urameshi Yuusuke loved summer. He loved it because it was warm. He loved it because it was bright.

He loved it because it meant no school.

And no school meant only one thing.

"Wahoo! VACATION!"

This summer, Shizuru had gratuitously volunteered to drive their little group (fondly dubbed "Reikai Tantei Co. by Yuusuke) up to a cabin that Keiko had rented for them. It was in walking distance of a lake and hot springs, and (in Yuusuke's opinion, most importantly) there were no adults there to spend the two weeks with them, save for Shizuru.

But any qualms Yuusuke might have had about Shizuru crashing the party were quickly dispelled when she drove up to his driveway in a rented minivan, dressed in a halter top, nicely short shorts, sunglasses, and a grin that told Yuusuke that they were going to be having a _lot_ of fun this vacation.

"Get in, Urameshi; we've still got Kurama and Hiei to pick up." Kuwabara said from the passenger seat. "Just dump your bags in the back, Keiko will show you how."

Yuusuke shouldered his duffle bag and headed around the car to open the rear door. Before he could, it opened by itself, revealing his girlfriend's smiling face. "Morning, Yuusuke!"

He grinned at her. "Morning, Keiko." He glanced down at the sundress she was wearing. Almost of its own free will, his hand snuck out of its pocket…

"Don't you even think it, Yuusuke."

He looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry. Force of habit."

With a little bit of wrestling, they stored Yuusuke's bag under the seat and Yuusuke plopped down between Keiko and Botan. Yukina, sitting on Botan's other side, smiled at him. "Good morning, Yuusuke-san."

He grinned back. "Hi, Yukina. How's it going?"

"Very good, Yuusuke-san. I'm very excited about this trip."

"We all are, Yukina-san." Kuwabara agreed enthusiastically from the front seat. Yuusuke kicked the back of his seat. "Ow! Urameshi!"

After about ten minutes of that, they arrived at Kurama's house. The redhead was sitting on his duffle bag, wearing shorts, a slightly tight T-shirt, and sneakers, his hair pulled back in a high ponytail with his sunglasses propped on top of his head. Hiei stood next to him, looking very put out, wearing shorts, a tank top, and hiking boots. He could have been a normal teenage kid, save for the bandages winding around his arm.

Shizuru leaned out the window and smiled at them. "You look cute, Kurama-kun. I like your hair that way."

He looked up and grinned back. "Do you? Good. I just put it up because it was annoying me." He stood up and grabbed Hiei's arm. "Into the car, Hiei."

Hiei glared at him but did so, grumbling the entire way. Kurama threw his bag in the back and climbed into the rear seat next to the fire demon.

Yuusuke, who was beginning to feel cramped, crammed between the three girls anyways, gratefully moved to the rear with the two demons. "Hey guys. Uh, Kurama, just out of curiosity, how did you…"

Kurama gave him a foxy grin. "Hiei and I had a bet on. He said if I could catch him while he was running, he'd wear the clothes and come on the trip."

Yuusuke raised his eyebrows. "But he's so much faster than you. How did you catch him?"

"I didn't think he'd try to use flame-proof vines." Hiei mumbled. "That wasn't fair."

Kurama smiled at him. "You didn't specify fairness, Hiei. And those vines were loose enough that you could have broken out if you tried hard enough. You just chose not to."

Hiei "hn"ed and turned away.

Yukina turned around in her seat, peering over the edge at Hiei. "I'm very pleased that you came, Hiei-san. I think we're going to have fun."

Hiei's eyes widened slightly and he snapped his gaze to the window.

Yukina giggled and sat back down. Within seconds, her face was replaced by Botan's. "You shouldn't be such a sourpuss, Hiei. It's mean."

He glared at her.

She laughed nervously. "Not that there's anything, um, wrong with that."

Yuusuke frowned at Hiei. "Don't threaten her telepathically, Hiei. Do I have to beat the crap out of you _again_ for doing that?" He shook his head. "You should have learned by now not to mess with women around me."

Botan nodded enthusiastically. "What he said, Hiei. Oh, and Kurama, you do look really pretty."

"Thank you."

"My only problem is that you stole my hairstyle." She motioned to his bangs and sidelocks.

Kurama smiled sheepishly. "That wasn't actually my fault. They wouldn't stay in the ponytail, so I just took them down. Sorry if I'm infringing a copyright."

"No, it's okay. I'm just a little put out that it looks better on you than it does on me." She pouted.

Yuusuke laughed. "Ooh, male beauty 1, female ego 0. Nice job, Kurama."

Kurama hit him lightly. "Don't be mean to the girls, Yuusuke. Apologize."

"Okay, okay. Sorry, defeated weaker gender." Two slaps to the head. "Ow! Dammit! Fine! You made your point."

Keiko thought for a moment and hit him again.

"What the hell was that for?"

"Yukina. She wouldn't hit you, so I did."

Yuusuke sat back and joined Hiei in moping. Kurama rolled his eyes and leaned over the seat, striking up a conversation with the girls.

Yuusuke glanced at Hiei over Kurama's back. "Hey. Hiei;" he said in a low voice.

"What?"

"…Dare you totouch his ass."

"…Yuusuke."

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

* * *

"Oh, this is _pretty!_" Yukina breathed when they arrived at the cabin. "Look at the lake, Kazuma-san! See how it sparkles?"

"Just like your eyes, Yukina-san." Kuwabara said brightly, climbing out of the car carrying both his bag and Yukina's.

Shizuru rolled her eyes, shoving her duffle into her brother's arms. "Give the poor girl a break." Ignoring her stuttering brother, she put an arm around Yukina's shoulders. "Come on, Yukina-chan. You can bunk with me if you want."

"I'd like that very much! Thank you, Shizuru-san!"

"Don't mention it."

Kuwabara stared after them, mouth open. "What just happened?"

Kurama walked up behind him, his bag in one hand and Hiei's arm in the other. "Nothing you shouldn't get used to, Kuwabara. And stop squirming, Hiei, or I'll bunk with Yuusuke and leave you with Kuwabara."

Horrified, Hiei fell into step beside the redhead, and even offered to carry Kurama's bag.

Kurama grinned smugly, handing the duffle to his smaller friend and catching Yuusuke's eye. "Blackmail. Don't you just love it?"

* * *

Yuusuke had to admit it, when Keiko planned something, she went all-out.

The cabin she had rented for them was bigger on the inside than Yuusuke had thought it would be. There were four sets of bunk beds arranged in a square in the bedroom, a bathroom with a toilet, sink and shower stall, a living room with two couches and a large fireplace, and a well-equipped kitchenette. Outside, they were in walking distance of both the lake and a hot spring, and just outside the house were four logs arranged around a fire pit in a cozy campfire setting.

"I've got to hand it to you, Keiko. This is really great." He said, climbing on to the top bunk of the bed nearest the door and throwing his bag on it. "I'm impressed."

"Well, that's what I was striving for." She said with a smile, putting her duffle bag on the bottom bunk of the bed across from Yuusuke. "Botan-chan! I'm putting your stuff on the bed above me!"

"Okay!" Botan called back from the living room.

Standing on tiptoe, Keiko put Botan's bag on the top bunk, just as Kurama and Hiei entered the room. The fire demon took one glance around, and promptly flitted to the top bunk of the bed that was against a wall with a window. "Hn." He said decisively.

Kurama shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me, Hiei." He put his bag down on the bottom bunk and looked up at the demon, a sly smile crossing his features. "I just can't seem to top you in anything, can I?"

Yuusuke made a face. "Hey, dude? Too much information."

Kurama winked at him. "Sure it was, Yuusuke."

Shizuru, Yukina, and Botan entered the room. "What was too much information?" Shizuru asked.

Yuusuke looked at Yukina. "Nothing." He glanced at Shizuru. "Are you two sharing?"

"Yeah;" Shizuru smiled at Yukina. "Would you like a top or bottom bunk, Yukina-chan?"

"A bottom bunk, please." She smiled back. "I'm a little scared of heights."

"No problem." Shizuru put Yukina's bag on the bottom bunk of the remaining bed, and her own bag on the top bunk. "It's getting a little dark out, guys. How's about a campfire?"

* * *

Ten minutes later, they were sitting on the logs outside the cabin. A blazing fire roared in the fire pit, courtesy of Hiei (with a little goading from Kurama). Shizuru had procured a bag of marshmallows, some toasting sticks, and a very nice acoustic guitar, which Kurama promptly took and tuned by ear.

Happily munching on a marshmallow, with Keiko snuggling against him, Yuusuke couldn't think of any ways the moment could be more perfect.

Then a soft, sweet note rippled around them.

All eyes went to Kurama. Delicate fingers moving the strings, long hair hiding his face, Kurama began to play the soft strains of a gentle, familiar home-away-from-home song. His voice blended with the guitar perfectly, soothing and sweet and quiet all at the same time.

Keiko sighed, and Yuusuke couldn't blame her. He put an arm around her.

The song finished, and they clapped. "That was great, Kurama." Kuwabara commented.

Kurama smiled at him. "I needed to test it." He brushed his hair off his face, tying it back with a rubber band. "How about something a bit more enthusiastic?" Flexing his fingers, he returned to the strings and began to play an uplifting dance hit that was beginning to get quite popular back in Tokyo.

Grinning, Shizuru grabbed Yukina's hand and pulled her off the log, coaxing her to dance. Keiko giggled, watching them move to the music, now accompanied by two voices—Kurama's gentle, uplifting alto mixed with Kuwabara's off-tune bass.

Botan walked around the fire, holding out her hand to Yuusuke. "Dance with me?"

He glanced at Keiko. She smiled at him and nodded, releasing his arm. Grinning, Yuusuke took Botan's offered hand and stood up, moving in front of the fire to dance next to Shizuru and Yukina. Dimly, he was aware of Keiko's eyes following him, but whenever he turned to look at her, she would just smile and wave. At one point, he grinned back and blew her a kiss, and she pretended to catch it, winking at him. Conscience clear, he resumed dancing, and the music continued until Kurama, wincing, announced that if he played anymore, his fingers would start bleeding. Laughing, joking, and all-in-all in good moods, they returned to the cabin, changing for bed and crawling into their beds sleepily.

* * *

The morning dawned clear and calm. When Yuusuke groggily returned to consciousness, he could feel the sunlight that streamed through the window, warming his eyelids. Half-asleep, he wondered what had woken him up.

"Yuusuke-san!"

Oh. Right. Rubbing sleep out of his eyes, he sat up, meeting Yukina's worried eyes. "What is it, Yukina-chan?"

"Botan-san is missing!" The small koorime looked fairly frantic. "She's not anywhere in the cabin, I can't find her?"

"Maybe she went out to the hot springs or something." He spoke through an unquenchable yawn.

"She wouldn't just leave without telling us, Yuusuke-san. She knows how dangerous that is."

Heart sinking, Yuusuke realized how right she was. Rolling out of bed, he hit Kuwabara with a pillow. "Wake up, Kuwabara. We need to find Botan."

The orange-haired teenager grumbled about being woken up, but sat up anyway, groping around for his shirt.

Rolling his eyes at his fuming friend, Yuusuke crossed the room, gently shaking Kurama awake. "Hey, Kurama. Wake up."

Kurama opened his eyes, huge green orbs blinking curiously up at Yuusuke. "What is it, Yuusuke?"

"Botan's missing and Yukina's worried. We need to go find her."

Kurama murmured an affirmative and got out of bed, standing on tiptoe to shake Hiei's shoulder.

Trusting Kurama to wake Hiei, Yuusuke went back to his own bed and grabbed a sweatshirt before leaving the bedroom to find his sneakers. By this time, Shizuru and Keiko had woken up, and were slightly confused by the commotion.

Squinting against the bright sunlight that greeted him when he stepped outside, Yuusuke shielded his eyes with one hand and looked around, trying to spot the familiar head of blue hair. He felt, rather then heard; the others emerge from behind him, and motioned for Kurama and Hiei to follow him. Kuwabara took the hint and remained behind with the girls.

"What's wrong, Yuusuke?" Kurama asked quietly when they were out of earshot. "Do you think something happened?"

"That's exactly what I think." Yuusuke said grimly, quickening his stride. He could feel the two demons exchange glances, communicating silently in that weird mental language of theirs. He almost envied their closeness at times, but—

He stopped short.

"Dear Inari;" Kurama breathed.

Yuusuke dropped to his knees.

When they had arrived at the cabin the night before, Yuusuke hadn't noticed the large oak tree near the entry to the hot springs.

He noticed it now.

Because now, the body of one of his best friends hung by the neck from a branch.

Dimly, he felt Kurama race past him, saw Hiei flit up the branches and cut the rope that hung Botan suspended. The body dropped into Kurama's waiting arms, and the redhead eased it gently to the ground. Pushing the rope aside, Kurama rested two fingers against Botan's neck. It was unnecessary. He looked at Yuusuke; expression agonized, and shook his head.

Slowly, Yuusuke dragged himself over to Kurama and forced himself to look at Botan's body. He nearly gagged—in addition to being hanged, Botan's heart had been gauged out and—by the looks of it, strung around her neck on a piece of twine. A yellow scarf was tied around her eyes.

He heard a scream from behind him. Putting himself in front of Botan's body, he turned pain- and denial-filled eyes to his girlfriend, Yukina, and Shizuru. The scream had been Yukina's, and the koorime was now clinging to Shizuru, sobbing. Keiko stood in shock, Kuwabara holding on to her arm to keep her upright.

"Get them out of here, fool." Hiei snapped to Kuwabara.

Kuwabara didn't bother to argue, just gently guided the girls back to the cabin.

When they were inside, Yuusuke looked at Kurama.

The redhead looked back at him, eyes filled with understanding and brimming with unshed tears. "Yuusuke." Slowly, he extended a hand.

Yuusuke grabbed it, all but flinging himself into Kurama's arms and sobbing against Kurama's lap. He felt Kurama's hands stroke his hair gently.

"Kurama."

Hiei's strained voice sliced through the air like a knife through warm butter.

Head buried in Kurama's lap, Yuusuke heard Kurama answer.

"You might want to look at this."

Kurama gently wormed his way out of Yuusuke's grasp and moved to look at the body. "Oh, my—Yuusuke, come see this."

Swallowing hard, Yuusuke raised his head and looked.

Hiei held Botan's arm upright, and Yuusuke saw that it was stained with blood. He squinted, trying to make out the cuts. Focusing, he could see that they had been cut into the flesh in the patterns of kanji…When he finally made out the bloody message; he felt his stomach jump into his throat.

Carved into Botan's arm was "_Cry for those who follow._"

"What does that mean?" He was surprised at the hoarseness of his voice.

"It means;" Kurama said quietly; "that she isn't the last that is going to be murdered, Yuusuke. Something is going to happen."

Yuusuke's heart plummeted. "I was afraid of that."

**TBC**

* * *

Okay, horrible first chapter. It'll get better. Well, worse, actually, when you think about it. It's going to get scarier, I hope. Please don't abandon me.

Oh, and since I'm sure people are going to ask me how Botan can die, seeing as how she's a being of Reikai—it's because she's in human form. Since she takes a human form to interact with Yuusuke and co, and humans can be killed, it's possible for her to die.

That and I just don't like her, so I needed her out of the picture fast. Yes, people, that's the answer to the mystery, the serial killer of Yu Yu Hakusho characters is me. Heh heh. Just kidding.

XOXO,

—Rei


	2. Chapter II

Okay, so, here we go with chapter 2.

To recap: Yuusuke and co. are on a vacation in the mountains. There is brief cuteness, as in most horror stories. And then someone is brutally killed. In this case, that someone is Botan. Let's pretend we care. Come on, how many people ACTUALLY like her THAT much, really?

Well, anyways…here you go.

* * *

**Shattered Twilight: Chapter II**

* * *

"I just don't see how this could have happened."

The seven of them were gathered in the living room of the cabin. Yuusuke and Keiko sat on one couch, Yuusuke's arms tightly locked around his still-crying girlfriend. Kuwabara, Shizuru, and Yukina sat on the other couch, Kuwabara handing the two girls tissues while Yukina cried into Shizuru's lap. Kurama sat on the floor, leaning against the couch where Yuusuke and Keiko sat, looking pale and stunned. Hiei stood alone by the window, glaring at it as if to burn through the glass.

Answering Kurama's statement, Yuusuke said quietly; "But it did. The question is…how?"

"Most people would have figured it out by now, Yuusuke." Hiei said dryly. "She was murdered."

"Hiei!" Kurama said sharply.

"What?" Hiei snapped. "They need to come to grips with what happened, whether they like it or not. That wasn't an _accident_, Kurama. That was cold-blooded murder—one of the most thorough I've ever seen."

Cradled against Yuusuke's shoulder, Keiko gave a dry sob.

"In any case;" Hiei continued. "I'd suggest we get the hell out of here. Chances are, our killer is a youkai who managed to get into these woods. More likely than not, it'll realize there are more of us—or worse, who we are, and come back. And we probably don't want to be here when it does."

Kurama shuddered, drawing his knees to his chest and resting his head against them. "Hiei;" he murmured.

Hiei sighed, crossing the room and settling himself cross-legged next to Kurama. "I'm sorry, fox." He said softly.

Kurama nodded against his knees.

"Hiei's right." Yuusuke said. "We should get out of here."

"What about…" Kuwabara cast a glance outside, in the direction of the oak tree.

"We'll burn the body." Hiei said. When the others turned to him in horror, he clarified; "We'll give her the proper funeral rites, she deserves that much, but what will we achieve by bringing the body back with us? She has no family to return the body to, and there's no point in bringing it to Ningenkai police. We'll burn her body; take the ashes back with us. We can give them to the brat when we see him next—he'd probably appreciate them."

There was a stunned silence.

After a moment, Yukina raised her head. "How can you be so…_calm_?"

Hiei gave a bitter laugh. "Do you think this is the first time I've come across a murder? Yukina, this—" Kurama lay a hand on his shoulder, and Hiei paused, and then nodded to Kurama.

Leaning forward, the kitsune continued where Hiei had left off. "Yukina, this is hard, I realize that. But you need to understand this. Humans are suspicious by nature. If we returned with a body, what do you think the first thing they would consider would be?"

"That we did it?" Shizuru guessed.

"Exactly." Kurama said. "I don't like it any more than you do, but it's out of our hands."

"There might be a problem, though." Hiei said suddenly.

Kurama turned to him. "With what?"

"Leaving."

"Why?" Kurama frowned.

"Can't you feel it?" At the blank looks from his teammates, Hiei rolled his eyes. "There's a kekkai around this entire area. I'd guess Botan put it up before she died—probably to keep the youkai out."

Keiko's voice, though soft and strained, was ominous. "So…we're trapped in here?"

Hiei shrugged. "For the moment. I'm going to go and see if I can break through it. Kurama, come with me. Yuusuke, come if you like. The rest of you, stay here." That said, he rose to his feet and left the room, Kurama close behind.

Yuusuke considered his options, and then detangled himself from Keiko. "I've got to go check this out, Keiko. I'll be back."

Keiko nodded. "Please be careful."

Yuusuke attempted a grin and failed miserably. "I will be." He said lamely, and followed his demon teammates outside.

* * *

He found them near where the van was parked. Hiei was glaring at a spot about two meters away from them. He glanced at Yuusuke. "Right there;" he said, pointing. "Starts there, covers the perimeter, forms an overhead barrier about twenty meters above us."

There was only one question on Yuusuke's mind. "Can we get through?"

"There's only one way to find out." Kurama said simply, walking forward. Cautiously, he touched his hand to the invisible barrier, and was promptly blown backwards, crashing into Hiei.

The smaller youkai hit the ground, Kurama held protectively against his chest. Sitting up, he looked down at the kitsune. "That;" he said bluntly; "was foolish."

Kurama sat up, wincing, holding his hand against his torso. "I noticed that."

Yuusuke came over and knelt beside them. "Hey, are you guys okay?" He scanned them quickly for injuries. "Kurama, your hand—"

Kurama smiled grimly. It was burned, not horribly, but badly enough that he wouldn't be using it much for awhile. "It could have been worse, Yuusuke. At least it was my right hand."

Yuusuke stared at him. "Kurama, you _need_ your right hand."

The redhead shook his head. "No, I don't. I'm a leftie. Most geniuses are." His mouth twitched slightly. "Anyways, I think that solves our question about getting through it. If this" he motioned to his hand "is what happens when we barely make contact with it, think of what driving right into it would do."

"That would be pretty suicidal." Yuusuke admitted.

Kurama nodded. "Exactly. I'd guess we're stuck here for awhile."

"For how long? We don't have the resources to last forever, Kurama."

The redhead nodded in agreement. "Logically speaking, the barrier shouldn't last more than a few days—a week or two at the absolute most. The remainder of Botan's ki is what's sustaining it now, but that won't hold it forever. As Botan's body settles, it will begin to fade, and it will eventually disappear." He sighed. "I don't want to be the one to tell the others that."

"Don't worry about it, I'll tell them." Yuusuke said. "Come on; let's get that hand taken care of. I'm sure Yukina would be happy to—"

Hiei frowned. "That's not a good idea, Yuusuke. She's too emotionally unstable, and the last thing you want is a shaky healer working on burns like that."

"Hiei's right." Kurama stood up. "I brought a first aid kit with me, it's in the bathroom."

Hiei nodded. "All right, I'll take care of it." He glanced at Yuusuke. "Good luck, Yuusuke."

When they returned to the cabin, Kuwabara was waiting for them at the door. The first thing he noticed was Kurama's burned hand. "What the hell—Kurama, are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine, it was a bit of an incident with our little barrier problem." Leaving it at that, he left to retrieve the first aid kit, Hiei following.

When they were gone, Kuwabara looked at Yuusuke. "Well? Did you figure anything out?"

Yuusuke nodded grimly. "Yeah, we did. But you're not going to like it."

* * *

"So, what do you make of all this?"

Hiei's sudden question startled Kurama out of his reverie. "Hm? Ouch!"

"Sorry." Carefully, Hiei dabbed a bit more antiseptic cream onto a cotton swab and gently sponged it against the burn.

Kurama sighed, careful to keep his hand still so as to not inhibit the fire demon's ministrations. "I don't know, Hiei…I wouldn't have seen it coming. I didn't detect any youki when we came up here, and there were no traces of youki anywhere near where we found Botan's body."

Hiei set the cotton aside and picked up a roll of bandages, wrapping Kurama's hand with an almost tender care. "So what, you think it was a human? Spread your fingers, if you can."

Kurama did so with only a slight wince, and Hiei began to gently wrap each digit. "I don't know. It's hard to say—it's rare that you find a human who kills quite so—thoroughly. And again, the idea that a human could conquer a being of Reikai—"

"She was in human form, Kurama." Hiei reminded him, tying off the bandage and releasing Kurama's hand.

"Still…do you think it's possible that she didn't fight back because it was someone she trusted?"

Hiei could almost hear the gears turning in Kurama's head, and worked just as quickly. "Kurama…you think it's one of us?"

Kurama shrugged. "I'm just saying it's a possibility." Using his uninjured hand, he pushed himself off the bathroom counter. "If someone else is killed, we'll know it's one of us. No youkai can get through that barrier—I'm sure of it."

Hiei frowned, hopping off the toilet, where he had been standing to reach Kurama's hand easier. "What makes you think someone else is going to die?"

"Don't you remember? The message on her arm?"

"'Cry for those who follow'." Hiei quoted softly.

Kurama nodded. "Exactly." He sighed, running his good hand through his hair. "Well…let's go join the party."

Hiei nodded, and started to leave, but Kurama caught his arm.

"Hiei…don't tell them what we talked about. They don't need anything else to scare them."

Hiei nodded again. Kurama squeezed his arm and released it, and they walked back to the living room, this time together.

* * *

"So…we are trapped here, then?"

Yuusuke nodded. "For now, yes, we are."

Yukina, sitting primly on the edge of one couch, hands folded neatly in her lap, looked up at Yuusuke curiously. "Is there any way to get through this barrier, Yuusuke-san?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Yukina. Kurama tried." He glanced at the redhead, who smiled grimly and held up his right hand.

Yukina gasped. "Kurama-san! Why didn't you tell me you were hurt? I would have been glad to heal it for you!"

Kurama smiled slightly. "Thank you for the offer, Yukina. But I can assure you, it wasn't that bad an injury, and you should conserve your energy." He glanced at Hiei, who was making a point of looking away. Gently, he eased his free hand up to rest against Hiei's shoulder in a reassuring way. Almost against his will, Hiei found himself leaning against the redhead's comforting hand.

Shizuru spoke up. "Can I make a suggestion?" When she had the room's attention, she continued. "I think we should have Botan's funeral service now, before the body gets too—you know. After that…we can talk about what we should do next."

Kuwabara nodded. "I think she's right." He looked at Yuusuke. "Will you help me get some wood for a pyre?"

Yuusuke frowned. "Why gather it when we have someone who can just grow it."

Kurama smiled slightly. "I'd be happy to grow something for you. Hiei, do you mind…"

"No." He stood up. "Let's go."

* * *

The burning funeral pyre was a stark contrast against the clear blue of the evening sky. They watched the flames lick at the stars solemnly, traces of black ki occasionally darting within the crimson flames. Botan's body could no longer be seen within the swirling cloud of smoke and fire, and they watched the wood burn only to settle their own hearts. 

Yuusuke held Keiko close to him with one arm, resting his chin in her hair. Next to him, Kurama stood quietly, his bandaged hand on Hiei's shoulder, his other hand by his side. The flames reflected an uncertain mix of emotions in the emerald eyes, and Yuusuke, on instinct, reached over and took Kurama's free hand in his. Kurama, startled, glanced over at him, and Yuusuke attempted a smile that he hoped was reassuring. Kurama seemed to understand, and squeezed his hand.

Finally the fire burned down. Hiei extinguished what remained with a wave of his hand, and Kurama knelt, murmuring a soft prayer to the gods to guide Botan's soul home.

Kurama stood and looked up at the sky. It was a soft black, dotted with stars. "Beautiful;" he said softly. Hiei nodded in agreement.

"So…what should we do now?" Kuwabara voiced the question on everyone's mind.

"I think we should go to the hot springs. They are within the barrier, after all, and we should make use of them." Shizuru said thoughtfully.

Keiko looked shocked. "Shizuru, I can't believe you! Botan _died_, and all you can think of his hot-tubbing?"

Kurama shook his head. "Quite the opposite, Keiko. Hot springs in Japan have always been known for their soothing healing qualities…I believe Shizuru is saying that we should visit them so as to soothe our nerves a bit, is that correct?"

Shizuru nodded. "I guess…I didn't really think of it in so many words, but that was the basic idea."

Kurama smiled. "Don't worry about it. Shall we go?"

* * *

The hot springs were, as Kurama had said, surprisingly soothing, Yuusuke thought as he eases himself into the water. The redhead in question was next to him, the water glistening on his skin. Kurama pulled his hair away from his neck with his good hand, careful to keep his injured one above the water's surface.

Hiei, who had agreed to go to the hot springs only in case something were to happen, looked slightly uncomfortable in the water. To Yuusuke's surprise, his hair remained sharply upright, the white starburst standing out starkly against the black. He remained close to Kurama, almost protectively, his katana in arm's reach.

The girls, in bathing suits, sat across the pool from the boys, speaking to each other in low voices. Yuusuke glanced at Kuwabara. "What do you think they're talking about?"

Kuwabara shrugged. "I dunno, man. Girl stuff, I guess."

Kurama glanced over at them, an almost amused expression crossing his face. "They're talking about Yuusuke, actually."

Yuusuke looked at him, startled. "How do you know?"

Kurama tapped his lips. "Lip-reading, Yuusuke. It's a wonderful skill, you should learn it. They're talking about how good you've been to Keiko through all of this, and how lucky she is to have someone like you."

Yuusuke laughed bitterly. "How about how lucky I am to have her. The only thing that's keeping me going is how much I need to protect her…to protect all of you."

Kurama frowned. "We don't all need your protection, Yuusuke. Hiei and I are youkai, remember that."

"Well, all the humans, then."

Kuwabara glared at him. "What the hell, Urameshi?"

"I know you don't like it, Kuwabara; but listen to me;" Yuusuke pleaded. "You're my _best friend_. Think about how I'm going to feel if you die."

Kuwabara shifted, obviously uncomfortable with the sudden confession. "Urameshi…"

Almost nervously, Yuusuke put a hand on Kuwabara's shoulder. "Come on, man. You're one of the most important people in the world to me. Do you want me to feel like shit for the rest of my life if something happens to you?"

Kuwabara bit his lip, and then sighed. "Fine, Urameshi. I…I guess."

Yuusuke sighed in relief. "Thanks, man."

"Yeah, yeah…"

Kurama put a hand to his forehead, pushing his bangs off his face. "Well, I don't know about all of you, but I'm going to turn in. It's getting a bit too warm in here for me." Standing up, he wrapped his towel around his waist and slipped into his sandals, glancing at Hiei. "Coming?"

Relieved, Hiei got out of the water, grabbing his katana as he fell into step behind the redhead.

Keiko sighed. "I think he's right. Isn't there a rule that you're not supposed to stay in a hot spring for too long at a time anyway?"

Yukina and Shizuru voiced their agreement, and, not wanting to stay in alone, Yuusuke and Kuwabara climbed out as well, grabbing their towels. They lingered behind the group.

"Hey…Yuusuke."

"Yeah?"

"Why…do you think someone else is going to be killed? We're in this barrier, right? No one can get in."

Yuusuke chewed his lip before answering. "Well…I heard Kurama and Hiei talking. They think…they think the killer might be one of us."

Kuwabara stopped dead, his surprise written all over his features. "_What?_"

"Shh." Yuusuke said hurriedly, clapping a hand over Kuwabara's mouth. "Look, they don't know I heard them, so don't say anything, okay?"

Kuwabara nodded, eyes wide, and Yuusuke removed his hand. "But...if it is…who do you think it is?"

"I…don't know." Yuusuke admitted. "Any ideas?"

"I think…I think it might be Hiei."

Yuusuke stared at him. "_Hiei?_ Why?"

Kuwabara shrugged. "You know how much Botan annoyed him. Maybe she said something that just pissed him off a bit too much."

"Yeah…but…" Well, come to think about it, that was true. Botan did get on Hiei's nerves…a lot. "Huh. You might be right." He looked up ahead, at the katana clutched in Hiei's hand. "Look…be careful around him, okay? You're known to get on his nerves too, you know."

Kuwabara nodded. "Okay. You too, Urameshi."

They stood together in silence for a moment.

"Hey…Kuwabara?"

"Yeah?"

"…Can I give you a hug?"

Kuwabara looked surprised, but there was such unmasked fear in the brown eyes that looked up at him, he couldn't help but nod. "Sure, Urameshi." The smaller boy obviously needed a hug and, Kuwabara realized as he held Yuusuke close, so did he.

* * *

The next morning, they were woken by a scream.

Yuusuke's heart leaped into his throat. _Oh, God...not again. Please, not again._ He looked around the room quickly. Keiko was sitting up in bed, eyes wide with terror. Shizuru was sitting up as well, looking around. Kurama and Hiei were already out of bed, throwing on clothes and preparing to go fight whoever it was that was attacking them.

Kuwabara and Yukina were gone.

The scream had not been wrenched from a male throat.

"KUWABARA!"

Not bother to dress or even put on shoes, Yuusuke dashed outside, ignoring Kurama's sharp cry to wait. Following the sound of Yukina's crying, he ran around the back of the cabin.

And stopped dead in his tracks.

Yukina knelt on the dew-damp ground, sobbing into Kuwabara's unmoving chest, her arms wrapped around him. Hiei, who had emerged behind Yuusuke, ran past him, gently pulling Yukina away from the lifeless form. Ignoring her bloodstained kimono, Yukina threw her arms around Hiei, clinging to him and crying. Awkwardly, he held her, motioning with his eyes for Kurama and Yuusuke to look at the body.

Kurama got there first, kneeling and scanning Kuwabara over. Yuusuke knelt beside him. "Well?"

After a moment, Kurama looked up at him. "He's not dead."

Yuusuke felt his heart plummet. He's not?"

"He's dying, Yuusuke…but he's not dead." Kurama looked back at the body. "This is horrible."

Yuusuke couldn't agree more. Kuwabara's throat had been slit, and the skin of his face peeled down layer by layer, as if someone had taken an apple skinner and simply peeled the skin right off. The lips still moved, barely, as if struggling to still breathe. "Dear God…" Yuusuke groaned. "We've got to end it."

Kurama nodded, once. Hiei, who had detangled himself from Yukina and sent her back inside, came over, unsheathing his katana. "I'll do it." Hiei said shortly. "Get Yuusuke out of here."

Yuusuke shook his head stubbornly. "I need to be there for him."

Kurama gently put a hand over Yuusuke's. "You don't need to see this, Yuusuke. Trust me. Come inside."

"No." He shrugged off Kurama's hand and took Kuwabara's twitching one in his own. "I'm staying with him."

Kurama sighed, and meeting the Hiei's eyes, nodded once. Hiei returned the nod, positioned his katana, and stabbed down sharply.

Hiei's aim was true, and the blade pierced Kuwabara's heart. Blood frothed at the skinless lips, a faint gurgle came from the sliced throat, the body went rigid, and then, suddenly, went still. Yuusuke shuddered, and released Kuwabara's hand, surrendering himself into Kurama's arms. The kitsune pulled him gently to his feet, helping him inside.

The scene that appeared when they entered the cabin was nearly as bad as the one they had just left. Shizuru was screaming and crying, struggling against Yukina and Keiko. "I WON'T BELIEVE IT! I WON'T! GIVE ME MY FUCKING BROTHER BACK!"

"Shizuru-san, please!" Yukina cried, clinging to Shizuru's arm. "You must stop!"

Yuusuke groaned, burying his face against Kurama's chest. "Make it stop." He whispered.

Kurama's arm tightened around him.

When Hiei entered the cabin behind them, sheathing his katana, Shizuru's struggling doubled. "YOU KILLED HIM! YOU FILTHY RAT, I'LL KILL YOU!"

Kurama, startled at the sudden threat to Hiei, stepped back, putting a protective hand on the demon's shoulder.

With a cry, Shizuru broke free, but instead of running at Hiei, she dashed past him, running outside and stopping when she saw her brother's body. "No…" she whispered, putting a hand to her mouth.

She staggered back. "I need to get out of here. I'm not going to be trapped with a murderer!"

Yuusuke realized what she was planning a second before the brunette moved. "_No! _Shizuru, don't!"

Taking a running start, Shizuru ran full on into the barrier.

Keiko screamed.

Shizuru's charred, nearlyunrecognizable body fell limply to the ground, only meters away from her brother's.

Yukina burst into renewed tears. Keiko continued to scream. Hiei tried to calm Yukina, only to be caught in another desperate hug. Kurama clung to Yuusuke, not trusting the dark-haired boy to stand on his own.

And for Yuusuke…

The world dipped, and spun, and the last thing he heard before the world went black was Keiko calling his name.

* * *

The sunlight stung his eyes when he woke. "Bright." He murmured.

A slender hand reached over him and closed the window blinds. Squinting, he could see Kurama's outline in the semidarkness. "Kurama?"

"It's me." Kurama sat down on the bed beside him. "How do you feel?"

"How do I _feel_?" Yuusuke spat. "Last night, I told my best friend that I would protect him. I wake up in the morning and he's dying! Not only that, one of my teammates has to finish him off so he doesn't suffer! And then, his sister goes and kills herself! How the fuck would that make you feel?"

Kurama's expression never wavered; he simply regarded Yuusuke with those bottomless green eyes.

Yuusuke was grateful for the redhead's silence, and caught his choking breath, wiping burning tears from his eyes. "So…I guess you and Hiei were right. It is one of us."

Kurama nodded, not bothering to ask how Yuusuke knew. "Yes."

"Kuwabara…Kuwabara thought it was Hiei." Yuusuke said quietly.

Kurama raised an eyebrow. "I expected as much." He murmured softly. "They never did get along."

"Do you…do you think it's Hiei?"

Kurama shook his head. "No, Yuusuke…I don't. Do you?"

Yuusuke shrugged. "I don't know. I want to trust him, but…"

Kurama gave him a slight smile. "Think about it, Yuusuke." He stood up and crossed to the door of the bedroom. He paused at the door. "Kuwabara and Shizuru's pyre has already been built. We were waiting for you to burn them. We thought…you'd want to be there."

Yuusuke nodded. "Thank you."

Kurama inclined his head slightly and turned to leave, but looked back. "Yuusuke;"

"What is it?"

"Don't jump to conclusions." With that said, he left, leaving a very confused Yuusuke staring after him.

**TBC**

* * *

And so ends chapter two. WHEE! Two birds with one stone!

I actually felt kind of bad killing Kuwabara. I'm kind of fond of him, in a tolerant sort of way. And I really like Shizuru. But, they had to go. They were expendable. Actually, just about everyone in this fic is expendable.

_**Reviewer Responses: **_

**Bluespark: **Yes, her soul is still alive, but, since she died, her soul was taken by another ferry girl back to Reikai, and the remaining Tantei can't contact Reikai at the moment. Thanks for the review.

**Lady Starlight2: **LOL. I love the custodian comment. He is adorable, isn't he? Is the day after soon enough?

**Eveligne: **Thanks! Here you go.

**NightRain: **Yes, Botan IS ditsy, isn't she :grin:

**Twilight's Shadow: **Ooh, cool name, first of all. So, all caps. You must have liked it. Either that, or you were really sugar high. I type in all caps when I'm sugar high. LOL. I'm glad you liked it, please enjoy the update!

Well, to everyone who reviewed, thank you again. See you next time!

XOXO,

—Rei


	3. Chapter III

Hey, everyone. Sorry for the wait. I'm just too lazy…anyways, here's an update for you all.

* * *

**Shattered Twilight **

**Chapter III**

* * *

The burning of Shizuru and Kuwabara's bodies was agony for Yuusuke. When the flames had died down, he had sunk to the ground, clutched Keiko in his arms, and cried. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yukina fall, and was immediately pulled into Hiei's embrace. Kurama had stood alone through the ordeal, gazing at the pyre, the flames reflecting in his eyes. At one point, Yuusuke was sure that he saw one tear glide down the redhead's cheek.

Finally, the fires went out, but they remained, staring at the remains of the bodies.

Hiei spoke. "We should go in." His voice sounded hoarse, and Yuusuke wondered if he had cried. He stood, pulling Yukina with him, and guided her inside with an uncharacteristic gentleness.

Yuusuke got to his feet as well, and helped Keiko up. He started to walk towards the cabin, and then turned.

Kurama hadn't moved from his spot. The cool night breeze ruffled his long hair, swirling it around him and obscuring his face from view.

"Kurama?" Yuusuke said softly. The redhead seemed to start at the sound, and turned to face Yuusuke.

"I'm sorry;" Kurama's voice was quiet. "I didn't mean to space out like that."

"It's okay." Yuusuke let go of Keiko's shoulder and crossed to the redhead, gently wrapping an arm around him and pulling him close. "It's okay, man."

He felt Kurama nod against his chest.

* * *

When dawn settled over the house, Yuusuke was awakened by the soft sound of crying. He sat up in bed and looked around the bedroom. His eyes settled on Yukina.

The koorime was sitting up, her legs pulled up to her chest and her face buried in her knees. Her slim shoulders were shaking with quiet sobs.

Yuusuke rolled out of bed and crossed the room, sitting on the edge of her bed. "Hey;" he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Yukina?"

She looked up at him. "Yuusuke-san?" Her voice held surprise. Yuusuke tried not to look shocked at the koorime's appearance. Yukina's crimson eyes were red and puffy around the edges, and her face was tear-streaked. She sniffled. "I'm sorry, Yuusuke-san. I wish you didn't have to see me like this. I just—" Her lower lip trembled, and the tears brimming in her eyes spilled over, clinking to join the pile of hiruseki already pooled in her lap. "I miss Kazuma-san!" She sobbed, startling Yuusuke by throwing her arms around him and starting to cry again.

Yuusuke held her, feeling slightly awkward. It was Kurama who was good at comforting, not him. He cast a glance at the sleeping redhead, debating whether or not to wake him. He decided not to. Kurama needed the rest. He had been awake the night before, offering consoling words to the girls after Botan's death. Gently, he rubbed Yukina's back, mumbling words he hoped were soothing. After what seemed like ages, Yukina's sobbing died down, and she lay in Yuusuke's arms, sniffling occasionally and clinging to him.

Slowly, he pried her arms from around his neck and tucked her back into the covers. "Get some sleep, Yukina. It'll be better in the morning."

"I loved him so much, Yuusuke-san. Shizuru, too. What will I do without them?" She whispered.

Without thinking, he leaned down and dropped a light kiss to her forehead. Kurama had done that for him, Yuusuke remembered, when Genkai had died and he had been up crying. The light contact had helped him, let him know that he wasn't alone. It seemed to help Yukina now, and her lips curled into a small smile as she fell asleep. Yuusuke stayed with her for a few moments, gently brushing her hair with his fingers. Finally, he stood up, by Keiko's bed to look down at her. The brunette's chest rose and fell with her breathing, and he leaned down, kissing her gently. "I love you, Kei." He whispered to her. She murmured something in her sleep and rolled over. He pulled the blanket around her and went back to his own bed, and after several fitful minutes, fell asleep.

* * *

It was soft voices that woke him, only a few hours later. He recognized them immediately, Kurama and Hiei. Yuusuke shrugged it off as Kurama trying to wake the fire demon, and decided to go back to sleep.

"—who's going to be next?"

That statement brought awareness back to him like a bucket of cold water. Knowing the demons would break off their conversation if they knew he was awake, he kept his breathing deep and regular, and opened his eyes just a crack.

Kurama was sitting up in his bed, Hiei perched on the edge with his legs dangling. It was Kurama who had spoken last, and Hiei seemed to be contemplating an answer.

Hiei spoke after a moment. "I don't know who's going to be next. All I know is that it's not going to be pretty."

Kurama shifted slightly. "That much is obvious. I assume you're going to keep a close watch on Yukina."

"Hn." Hiei grunted an affirmative. Kurama started to say something, but hesitated. Hiei caught the pause. "What is it?"

"Well…I was just thinking…" the redhead bit his lip before continuing. "Yukina has been the first one to alert us to both murders. I was thinking that maybe—"

Hiei's eyes flared. "You can't be suggesting—"

"It was just a thought, Hiei, but you have to admit that it's possible!" Kurama interrupted. "Koorime are not known for being peaceful creatures. You know that when they're angered, their kills are thorough and horrible."

Hiei opened his mouth, and then closed it. He took a deep breath before speaking again. "Kurama, you and I both know that Yukina would never kill unless in self-defense. What motive would she possibly have to kill them?"

Kurama shrugged. "I'm just being open to ideas, Hiei. I don't see you offering any ideas."

"Yuusuke."

Yuusuke tried not to choke, and then realized the demon was talking about him, not to him. _'Not that that's much of an improvement.' _He thought. It wouldn't do him any good if the two demons were against him.

Kurama seemed to share his opinion, and frowned. "You think it's Yuusuke?"

Hiei nodded. "He's been acting a bit too—devastated. It's not like him."

The redhead's frown deepened. "Don't you remember when Genkai died? He was this upset then. He cried the entire night."

"Until you stepped in and did a little comforting. Did you really kiss him, or was that just my imagination?"

A light flush touched Kurama's cheeks. "That was completely platonic and you know it, Hiei! He needed it, that night."

Hiei shrugged. "Whatever you say. All I'm saying is that you've been awfully close with him the last couple of days, as well—"

Kurama reached out and took Hiei's hands. "Listen to me;" he whispered. "I love you."

Yuusuke tried to keep his eyes from widening.

Hiei did the same, but failed. "Kurama;" was all he said, closing his hands around Kurama's.

Kurama didn't acknowledge the movement, just looked Hiei straight in the eyes. "I love you;" he repeated. "And no one—not Yuusuke or anyone else—is going to change that."

Hiei opened his mouth to retort, but Kurama cut him off. "Yes, I love Yuusuke." Hiei gaped. "But not in that way. I love Yuusuke the same way I love Yukina, and Keiko, and everyone else. The way I love you is…I don't know, different. I can't…" He released Hiei's hands and ran a hand through his hair. "I can't even explain it. I just—" Hiei stopped him in mid-sentence by kissing him.

Yuusuke closed his eyes until he heard them part. Cracking an eye open, he saw that their position had changed. Hiei had taken Kurama's spot, and held Kurama gently, the redhead's head and shoulders cradled in Hiei's lap. Hiei's hands ran though Kurama's hair. "Kurama;" Hiei said quietly.

"Mm-hm?"

"You never told me who you thought the killer was."

Kurama shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. But Hiei?"

"Hn?"

"Can you do me a favor?"

Hiei raised one eyebrow.

"Can you honestly tell me that it isn't you?"

"You trust me, don't you?"

"Of course."

"Then no. It isn't me. I don't have any proof for you, Kurama. Just my word. Is that good enough for you?"

Kurama smiled. "Of course."

Hiei leaned down and kissed Kurama again. Yuusuke closed his eyes, but allowed a smile to curve his "sleeping" lips. At least something good had come from this.

* * *

Yuusuke wasn't sure what woke him the third time. He sat up and looked around the room. Keiko was asleep, snuggled into a cocoon of blankets. Hiei was still in Kurama's bed, curled around Kurama's sleeping body. Smiling slightly at the idea of the broody fire demon being so caring, he turned to check on Yukina.

His heart dropped into his stomach.

Her bed was empty.

Yuusuke whirled around and grabbed Hiei's shoulder, shaking the fire demon awake and jostling Kurama into consciousness in the process. Hiei glared up at him. "_What?_"

"Yukina's gone."

The color drained from Hiei's face and he scrambled over Kurama's body, pulling on his boots and setting off at a dead run for the door.

"Hiei—wait—Dammit!" Forgetting his shoes, Kurama dashed outside after Hiei. Yuusuke groaned and hurried after them, dimly aware of Keiko's groggy-sounding "what's going on?" behind him.

Outside, he found Hiei looking around. A light rain had begun during the night, and the fire demon's clothes were quickly soaked through.

Yuusuke stopped beside him. "Maybe we should split up and look for—"

"Absolutely not." Hiei interrupted.

Kurama nodded. "Hiei's right, Yuusuke. Splitting up wouldn't be intelligent."

Hiei blinked, as if noticing Kurama's presence for the first time. He frowned. "Kurama, where are your shoes?"

Kurama waved the question off. "Not important. Come on, if we're going to find her, we're going together." He looked at Yuusuke. "Any ideas?"

Yuusuke bit his lip. "Maybe…the oak tree? That's where we found the…the others."

"Worth a try;" Hiei grunted, and flitted off.

"That was _not_ what I meant by stay together;" Kurama muttered, grabbing Yuusuke's arm and taking off after Hiei.

Hiei came into view before Yukina did. He stood, body rigid, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

Yuusuke couldn't blame him.

Yukina's body lay at the base of the tree, naked, her pale blue yukata tucked under her head like a pillow, a sick impersonation of tenderness. Symbols had been carved into her skin, arranged in what Yuusuke recognized as—

"Paralyzing wards;" he said in horrorstruck awe. "The bastard carved _wards_ onto her body…" He had heard of such things from Kurama and Hiei. Setting demon wards directly onto the flesh was one of the most extreme forms of torture used in Makai.

Kurama's hand slipped from Yuusuke's arm to hang limply by his side. "By all the gods;" he whispered, his voice sounding choked.

Yuusuke looked at him in alarm—Kurama's skin was unnaturally pale. "Kurama?"

"I think I'm going to be sick;" Kurama managed to get out, before doubling over and retching. Yuusuke held Kurama's long hair out of the way, gently rubbing the redhead's back while Kurama struggled to take in air. Finally, breathing heavily, Kurama swayed, tipping into Yuusuke's arms. Yuusuke lowered him gently to the ground away from the mess, stroking Kurama's hair off his face.

Kurama shook his head, pushed himself out of Yuusuke's arms and going to Hiei. The fire demon had yet to move, still staring at his sister's body. Gently, Kurama touched his arm. "Hiei?"

Hiei looked at him with dead, emotionless eyes. "She knew not to go outside alone;" he said, voice hoarse. "She didn't go outside alone. Someone went with her." He jerked away from Kurama's touch. "Someone she trusted. I'm going to find out who if it kills me."

Kurama reached out for him. "Hiei, please—"

The smaller demon shot him a deadly glare and blurred out of sight.

Heaving a sigh, Kurama raised a hand over his eyes. Yuusuke put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Kurama gave him a bitter smile. "Are any of us alright, Yuusuke?"

Yuusuke shrugged. "Thought I'd ask."

The redhead's smile gentled and faded. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to lash out at you, really."

Yuusuke nodded. "I know." He peered around. "Where did Hiei go? It's not like he could get far with the barrier."

Kurama shrugged. "He's probably just running circles. It relieves stress for him, I suppose." He took a deep breath and went to Yukina's body, kneeling down.

Yuusuke looked down, swallowing hard.

The youko scanned the body, a look of confusion crossing his face. "That's strange…"

"What?"

"Wards alone wouldn't have killed her." Kurama frowned. "I wonder if…" Gingerly, he slipped an arm under her body and turned it over. "Ah. I see."

Yuusuke knelt next to Kurama. "What?"

Kurama pointed, and Yuusuke saw a small cut, about the width of a knife blade, just below her left shoulder blade. "Straight up and through the heart. It was quick."

Yuusuke frowned. "That's new. The rest of the kills were…" He shuddered. "…You know."

Kurama nodded. "Yes, I know." He looked down at the body, rolling Yukina back onto her back. He pulled off his sweatshirt and tucked it around her body, reaching out to close her wide, staring eyes. "Yukina had her fair share of suffering. Demon wards are a very painful matter."

Yuusuke remembered Kurama's fights with Gama and Touya, and the look of pain on the redhead's face. He changed the subject. "What should we do with…"

Kurama bit his lip. "I'll stay with her until Hiei comes back. I think he should be the one to decide." He looked at Yuusuke. "You go inside. You need to tell Keiko."

The younger boy groaned, but nodded. "Alright." He squeezed Kurama's shoulder one last time, and went inside.

* * *

Keiko dissolved into tears the moment Yuusuke entered the cabin. She launched herself into his arms, sobbing. "Tell me. Tell me who it is this time."

He held her, unable to speak for a moment.

She pulled away, tear-streaked face looking up at him. "Tell me who, Yuusuke!"

"Yukina." Unshed tears that he had been holding back spilled over, and he pulled her to him, gentler than he wished he could, for fear of breaking her in half. "I'm sorry, Keiko;" he whispered into her hair. "I'm so sorry."

She clung to him, her face buried in his chest, and he only barely caught her whispered "I'm sorry, too."

* * *

Kurama nearly jumped out of his skin when Hiei dropped his cloak unceremoniously around his shoulders. Forcing his breathing under control, he said; "Hiei?"

The fire demon sat down cross-legged beside him. "You'll catch a chill in just a shirt, Kurama." He gazed at Yukina's body, then reached out and gently ran his fingers through her hair before jerking his hand back. "Kurama?"

"What is it?"

"Am I…a horrible person?"

Kurama looked at him in surprise. "Of course you're not, Hiei. Why on earth would you ask something like that?"

"Because, when I came out, and I saw her…" He looked at Kurama, and Kurama gasped. Hiei's eyes were brimming with tears as he continued. "…I was just…" He reached out, pulling Kurama against his chest and speaking into Kurama's hair, pressing his lips into the crimson strands. "I was just so glad it wasn't you. My own sister, and I was thankful it wasn't you."

Kurama pulled away, gently cupping Hiei's face between his hands. "You are not a horrible person." He pulled the demon into his arms, and Hiei rested his head against Kurama's shoulder. Kurama leaned down, kissing Hiei's forehead. "You're not a horrible person." He whispered again. "I love you. So much."

Hiei nodded against Kurama's shoulder, his fingers digging into the youko's shirt. "I know."

"What do you want to do with the body?" Kurama's question startled Hiei. He looked up at the redhead.

Kurama didn't meet his eyes. "It's up to you;" he said, staring off into space.

Hiei closed his eyes. "Later." He said.

Kurama nodded. His fingers stroked through Hiei's hair absently. "Whatever you want."

"Kurama?"

"What is it?"

"Promise me…you won't die."

Kurama's fingers stilled in Hiei's hair. "You know I can't promise that."

Hiei opened his eyes, looked up at Kurama, then closed them again. "I thought I'd ask."

Kurama's tone, when he next spoke, was gentle. "But I'll do my best."

* * *

Yikes. Sorry for the long wait. This fic is harder to write than I thought it would be. I hope you can forgive me.

There are two more chapters to come after this, and then an epilogue if enough people want one.

_**Reviewer Responses: **_

**Eveligne: **Well, it's supposed to be morbid. That's why it's under "horror". But I guess it's a good thing that you think it's morbid—I was worried I wouldn't be very good at the whole horror-fic-thing. I'm glad you enjoyed it…although I don't really know WHY people enjoy reading this kind of thing…it depresses the hell out of me.

**Princess Rin: **Botan…YES! Heh. As horrible as it is for me to say, I really enjoyed killing her off…she annoys me. A lot. Here's your update. Not any happier, unfortunately.

**Lady Starlight2: **Well, good guess on who died next. Kudos, girl. But as for who the killer is…I'M NOT GONNA TELL YOU! THAT WOULD DEFEAT THE PURPOSE OF A MURDER MYSTERY! Hehehe. Suspense is good for the soul. So are updates.

**Jessica: **Not as quick an update as I'm sure you were hoping for, but…well, here you go. I'm glad you liked it.

**godssentangel: **Well, there's some Hiei/Kurama for you. Although they haven't died yet. Hooray! I'm putting off killing them because I love those two…And as for worrying about it…how do you know one of them isn't the killer? (suspense, suspense)

**Princess Rin: **…didn't I do this already? Wow. WOW. Run-on sentence right there…Okay, let's see here. I'm glad you like the title. It just sort of popped into my head…I'm still working on what it has to do with the fic itself. As for Hiei being a…what was it that you said? "Back stabbing traitor", I believe? Well, that's to be shown, isn't it?

**Twilight's Shadow: **Yep, you're definitely a sugar person. I can totally relate to that. So, yeah, they died. Insert sobbing here. I like Shizuru and Kuwabara well enough, but hey, someone had to die in that chapter and Shizuru decided to run herself into the barrier. It was her fault, not mine. (grin) Why did you get in trouble for trying to read this? There's nothing really bad in it…okay, it's gruesome, but nothing you wouldn't find in a PG-13 movie. I'm glad I made your day. Aw, you like my name too? Thankies!

**AnimeWarriorGirl: **Wow, don't you pay a pretty compliment. I'm blushing over here. I'm sure you're a great writer, too. You just keep practicing, and you get better with time. As for Kurama-chan…we'll see. But you do realize that if he DOESN'T die, that means he's the killer, right?

**theamazinghollowgirl: **Yeah…the murder descriptions are graphic. I'm cringing writing them just as much as you're cringing reading them, trust me. I'm glad you like it, here's an update.

**NightRain: **Yes…it's sad…trust me, I'm depressed too. At least this chapter had a bit of fluffyness in it…

**SunStar Kitsune: **Well…yeah. It is a pretty sad and sadistic way to die…and yeah, she's in Reikai. Chillin' wit da ghosts, ya'll. As for who'll be the last to live…you'll have to read and find out!

**KyoHanna: **"Ten Little Indians"? I don't think I've ever heard of it…I think I'll go check it out. Don't worry, I fully intend to finish this fic, merely because I know you guys'll go crazy and kill me if I don't. I'm happy you like it so much. (wipes a tear) I love it when people like my stuff…

**Angelkitsune: **Ah! Not the hyper side! (laughs) Just kidding. I'm flattered that you like it so much. As for reading it in the dark at midnight…that would scare the crap out of me. But I'm a wimp. It's a wonder I'm reading this, let alone WRITING it.

Okay, I'll do my best to get an update up with less of a wait then last time. Once again, sorry this took so long. (bows) Until next time, everyone!


	4. Chapter IV

Whew! Well, it's been awhile, hasn't it? Did you all miss me in my prolonged absence? Did you? Of course you did, naturally.

…okay, I'll stop catering to my ego now.

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**Shattered Twilight: Chapter IV**

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Yuusuke sat at the kitchen table, his chin in one hand and a pen in the other. He frowned at the piece of paper in front of him, tapping the pen against the paper. In his messy scrawl, he had written out names and motives.

**Hiei**

**-hates Kuwabara**

**-hates Botan**

**-Yukina?**

**Kurama**

**-Botan has a crush on him…annoyed?**

**-Kuwabara?**

**-Yukina?**

**Keiko**

**-Jealous of Botan?**

**-thinks Kuwabara has a crush on her?**

**-Jealous of Yukina?**

**Yuusuke**

**-Botan?**

**-Kuwabara?**

**-Yukina?**

His frown deepened, and he chewed on his lower lip. He would have _known_ if he himself was the one going around killing people. Unless his demon side was possessing him, but he had learned to control that. None the less, he added "**possessed**" under his own name. He sighed. He had to be _missing _something.

His senses alerting him to someone behind him sent him whirling, a ball of ki already forming at the tip of his index finger and ready to shoot. He faltered, catching sight of a very startled redhead, who still had one arm extended as if to touch Yuusuke's shoulder. "Oh, it's you." Yuusuke sighed. The ki dissipated, and he slumped back into his chair. "Don't sneak up on me like that. I could have killed you." He realized too late that that might not have been the best wording. "Uh…"

Kurama smiled thinly, waving the explanation off. "I know, Yuusuke, it's fine. What are you working on?"

Yuusuke handed him the paper. "Just trying to get a better grip on things."

Kurama's brow furrowed in concentration as he read, emerald eyes scanning briefly, and then re-reading carefully. "Hm;" he murmured. He glanced up at Yuusuke. "May I borrow your pen?"

He handed it over. "It's yours anyway. I grabbed it out of your bag."

Kurama laughed lightly. "I'll make a thief out of you yet, Yuusuke. Too bad you didn't live in Makai twenty years ago." He wrote for a few moments, and Yuusuke fell silent. Finally, he handed the paper back.

Yuusuke stared. Added under his notes, in Kurama's naturally fluid script:

**Hiei**

**-hates Kuwabara**

**-hates Botan**

**-Yukina?**

_-knows Yuusuke loves both Botan and Kuwabara and would be upset to lose them_

_-still holding a grudge against Yuusuke for beating him_

_-killed Yukina to lead others off-guard_

_-Used the Jagan to control Shizuru to kill herself and make it look like an accident_

**Kurama**

**-Botan has a crush on him…annoyed? **_Very_

**-Kuwabara? **_Annoyed with Kuwabara's constant questioning and occasionally blatant idiocy_

**-Yukina? **_Vying for Hiei's affections, Yukina in the way_

_-Knows a lot about torturing methods/painful death sentences_

**Keiko**

**-Jealous of Botan? **_Noticed Botan dancing with Yuusuke on first night?_

**-thinks Kuwabara has a crush on her? **

**-Jealous of Yukina?**

_-Dislikes Kuwabara because he encourages Yuusuke's fighting_

_-Yukina's association with Kuwabara_

**Yuusuke**

**-Botan? **_Association with Koenma, whom Yuusuke dislikes_

**-Kuwabara? **_To lead others off-track_

**-Yukina?**_Suspected Hiei, and therefore tried to take revenge_

**-possessed?**

_-Knows everyone's strengths and weaknesses_

_-annoyed with people leaping their problems on him_

And then, to Yuusuke's surprise, at the bottom of the paper:

_Yukina_

_-knows that Kuwabara had a crush on Botan_

_-thought Kuwabara no longer loved her_

_-Koorime are well-versed in ward-drawing and torture_

_-suicide_

Yuusuke looked up at Kurama. "How…did you come up with this?

Kurama shrugged, taking a seat next to Yuusuke. "I've been doing some thinking, much like you." He ran his hands through his hair, eyes serious when they looked at his younger friend. "Yuusuke, seriously—how are you holding up? Are you okay?"

Yuusuke cracked a slightly forced grin. "With the exception of wanting to just tie everyone down in one room where I can keep an eye on them? Yeah, I guess."

Kurama smiled. "I completely concur. Good luck keeping Hiei down, though."

Yuusuke shrugged. "I'm sure he'd stay, if you asked him." His smile faded. "Speaking of Hiei…how is he?"

Kurama's smile vanished and he closed his eyes. "He's…coping." He sighed, shaking his head. "Truth be told, Yuusuke, I really don't know. He won't let me near enough to talk to him." Slender, pale fingers ghosted over closed eyes. "I feel so helpless;" he said softly. "I just want to be there for him, but I can't if he doesn't trust me."

The dark-haired boy nodded slowly, slightly surprised. He was getting a completely different look at Kurama, learning more about him in five minutes than he had in almost five years. For so long, he had pictured Kurama as a perfect being, who helped others with their problems but had none of his own.

For only the second time, he was glimpsing Kurama's vulnerable side. The first time had been after Kurama's fight with Karasu, when Yuusuke had helped the bleeding, trembling redhead from the ring and known that the damage to his friend was more than physical. Now, all he could do was listen. Kurama had no physical hurt this time—only the emotional pain that the man he loved was pushing him away. Yuusuke reached across the table and took Kurama's hand. "Hey;" he said softly. "It's going to be okay." He ran his thumb lightly over the back of Kurama's hand, a soothing gesture he had used for Keiko countless times. "Kurama?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

It was Kurama's turn to be startled, now. "For what?"

"For being so…calm through all of this." Yuusuke groped for the right words. "I don't think I could have handled it if you…if you had lost it, too."

Kurama chuckled bitterly. "I promise you, Yuusuke, I've been 'losing it' mentally ever since we found Botan's body." He squeezed Yuusuke's hand. "For everyone's sake, I've been trying to keep my head. Although…" He tilted his head ever-so-slightly to one side. "Maybe you've forgotten, but Hiei's kept quite a level head about this, as well."

Yuusuke bit his lip.

"Ah. You still suspect him?" Yuusuke nodded, and Kurama sighed. "I won't sway you from your opinion, Yuusuke, but I honestly don't think it's him."

"Who do you think it is, then?" Yuusuke asked, almost defensively.

Kurama stood, his hand withdrawing from Yuusuke's. "I'm not the one you should be comforting, Yuusuke."

Yuusuke's eyes followed the redhead as Kurama walked towards the door, not failing to note the change in subject. "And who is?"

Kurama looked back at him. "Keiko."

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Keiko, surprisingly enough, was sleeping when Yuusuke entered the bedroom, curled into a little ball of blankets. Yuusuke nearly smiled when he saw the serene expression on her face, and was loathe to wake her. He settled for sitting down on the edge of her bed and simply watching her, taking relief in the gentle rise and fall of her chest with her even breathing.

She stirred, after a few moments, and her sleepy brown eyes met Yuusuke. "Oh;" she said softly, as if surprised to see him. Her eyes narrowed in slight suspicion. "What were you doing?"

He raised his hands shoulder-high in mock-fear. "Nothing, I swear!"

Keiko laughed quietly and sat up. "I believe you, Yuusuke." She sighed. "I was having a nice dream."

Yuusuke scooted over to slide under the blankets next to her, pulling the slender brunette into a one-armed embrace. A week ago, he knew Keiko would have slapped him for being so bold. Now, it didn't seem to matter.

She snuggled against him, laying her head against his chest. "Such a nice dream;" she continued, as if never interrupted. "You and I were there. Yukina and Botan were there, and Kuwabara and Shizuru, too. We were all at the beach together. Oh—and Kurama and Hiei were there, too…it was nice, all of us together." She closed her eyes. "Everyone seemed so happy. So in love…"

And Yuusuke could almost picture it, even as she spoke. He could picture the radiant smile on Kurama's face as he goaded Hiei into the ocean, and the reluctant smile tugging at Hiei's lips as he gave in to the one person he could never refuse. He could see Botan and Shizuru laughing and playfully splashing Kuwabara as he attempted to place a kiss on a blushing Yukina's cheek.

He could see Keiko, her laughter like music as Yuusuke scooped her up, running with her into the waves, only to set her down and kiss her. A perfect world, a perfect moment that only a dream could hold. He tightened his grip on her, lowering his head to press his face into her hair. "Keiko;" he whispered.

She stopped talking. "What?" She seemed to detect the subtle change in his tone, and shifted to look up at him. "What is it, Yuusuke?" When he didn't speak right away, she reached up, gently laying a hand on his cheek. "Please talk to me, Yuusuke."

Yuusuke hesitated, but her eyes were wide and trusting and he gave in. "I'm scared;" he confessed. "I don't know who I can trust anymore. Hiei won't talk to me, and I know Kurama's hiding something, and for all I know my demon side could be possessing me and making _me _kill everyone, and you—" He cut himself off.

Keiko looked up at him, eyes searching. "And I what?"

He shook his head, pressing his lips against her forehead. "I don't know;" he murmured into her skin. "I don't know. I'm so confused."

"Yuusuke." The calmness in her voice startled him, and he looked at her. "I love you very much. You know that, don't you?"

He nodded. "I know." Suddenly he wanted to kiss her, kiss her the way Hiei had kissed Kurama, with no regard to the rest of the world, caring only for the here and the now and the beautiful creature who loved him. But Keiko was different than Kurama, and Yuusuke was different than Hiei. So he settled for holding her, and whispered quietly in her ear; "I love you, too. More than anything else." If it hadn't been true, he would have smacked himself for being so cliché.

It was enough for Keiko, and she snuggled into him. "I'm scared, too." She said softly. "But I know you'll protect me. I trust you, Yuusuke."

He bit his lip, holding her close. "I will protect you;" he promised. "You'll be safe with me. I promise."

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A hand slapped down on his shoulder without any semblance of gentleness, jolting Yuusuke awake. He took a second to remember where he was—he couldn't remember falling asleep. His searching eyes landed on a pale, panicked Hiei, and it didn't take long for him to realize the cause of the jaganshi's terror. "Oh, no."

"I can't find him." Hiei said, breathless and frantic.

It was all the explanation that Yuusuke needed. He struggled to detangle himself from Keiko, jolting her awake as he did so, and fell out of bed, scrambling to his feet to follow Hiei out the door. He was aware of Keiko behind him, and would have told her to stay behind, if not for the fear that something would happen should she be left alone.

The sky outside was misleadingly clear, the sun blinking innocently as if all was right with the world. Yuusuke wished it would rain. At least then, it would be as if the world would be crying with them, instead of acting as if it was happy that their friends were dying.

He looked at Hiei. "Where…where do you think…?"

Hiei shook his head. "I don't know." His voice was hoarse. Yuusuke wondered if he had been crying. "I checked the…the oak tree. He wasn't there."

Yuusuke felt a twinge of hope. Maybe…just maybe… "What about the hot springs?"

Hiei looked taken aback, but nodded. "Let's look." He made a movement, as if to flit away, and then hesitated, falling to Yuusuke's pace as the Yuusuke broke into a run.

Steam was still rising from the hot springs, and Yuusuke could hear the soft trickle of water. Squinting through the steam, he caught sight of a familiar head of red hair. He sighed in relief. "Kurama!" He called. "Man, you scared us. We thought—" He stopped. Kurama hadn't moved, or responded at all to his calls. "Kurama?"

Hiei ran ahead, and Yuusuke followed, the familiar feeling of dread now sinking into his skin.

It was only when Yuusuke was standing right next to the pool did he see the blood staining the water a sickening red. "Oh, god." He groaned.

Hiei wasted no time, pulling Kurama's limp body out of the spring and wrapping his cloak around his lover's naked form. He cradled Kurama's shoulders with one arm, and Yuusuke flinched at the way Kurama's head lolled lifelessly back, sightless green eyes half-lidded, as they often were when the redhead was deep in thought. Hiei reached over, and closed them with a trembling hand. As if clinging to a fruitless hope, Hiei's hand moved downwards to rest against the now still pulse.

"Hiei…" Yuusuke swallowed. His voice sounded raspy, even to his own ears. "Is he…"

Hiei made no reply. He bowed his head, burying his face in Kurama's hair as he pulled the slender body against his in a desperate grip. His shoulders shook with silent sobs, and Yuusuke knew.

Kurama was gone.

The realization hit him like a blow. Kurama was gone. Their voice of reason, their steady thinker, their peacemaker. Gone. Yuusuke took a staggering step back.

"Yuusuke?" Keiko's breathless voice startled him, and he felt, more than heard, the hitch in her breath as she took in the scene. "No. Oh, no."

Yuusuke barely had time to whirl around and catch her as Keiko's knees gave way beneath her. His own legs seemed to betray him and he fell to his knees, holding Keiko against him. She started to cry, clinging to him. He held her fast, but he couldn't cry. He nearly laughed. It had hurt so much to cry before, but now, it hurt to not cry, when all he wanted to do _was_ cry.

He heard a dull thud, and his head snapped up.

Kurama's arm, held against his body by the fabric of Hiei's cloak until moments before, had slipped down and hit the ground, and Yuusuke realized, for the first time, what had killed his friend.

Slender, but nonetheless deep cuts had been sliced into Kurama's arm, from his wrist to his elbow. Yuusuke counted three, the middle one running along the vein. An icy hand gripped his heart.

Had Kurama killed himself?

He remembered what Kurama had written under Yukina's name, when he had added to Yuusuke's idea list. "_Suicide"_. Suicide, after killing the person she loved.

Could…

Could Kurama really have…

"No;" he said out loud.

Hiei's eyes, bloodshot and red, lifted to meet Yuusuke's. "No what?"

Yuusuke whet his lips before speaking. "Do you think…could Kurama have been the…"

Hiei looked at him, and Yuusuke knew that Hiei was considering the idea for what was probably the first time. After a moment, he looked down at the still body. "He could have been;" he said softly. "But he wasn't."

And he spoke with such certainty, that Yuusuke knew he was telling the truth.

A bandaged hand brushed through the soaked crimson tresses. "I've lost both of them, now." Hiei said quietly, seemingly more to himself than to Yuusuke. "He was never supposed to die. He wasn't supposed to die."

And Yuusuke, for the first time in his life, had nothing to say.

**To be continued.**

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_**Reviewer Responses:**_

****

**Evene: **Because I know you guys like it, and it's my job to give the readers what they want. I'm glad you think I'm good at it, in any case. (pokes you) Ah-ah-ah, no asking for spoilers. That's bad.

**Lady Starlight2: **…You people spend a lot of time thinking these things up, don't you? God. Poor Keiko. I tell you, everyone suspects the poor thing. She's almost as antagonized as Lance in _Majikku no Seirei_. Here's your update! Hope you liked!

**JewelValentine: **(snaps fingers) Dammit! I KNEW I forgot to do something…is that Ten Little Indians thing a book or a movie, because I meant to go out and get it…Aww…you're flattering me. Thank you so much! Hooray for correct spelling and grammar. …I don't have a plot bunny. Well, my FWB gives me some ideas, but not that often. And why can't real men be like what?

**BlueSpark: **An excellent point. But Kurama's obviously off the list, although Hiei clearly isn't. Note his last line. And yes, you're biased. But that's okay.

**godssentangel: **Well…no. GAHHH! (runs to scrub out eyes after mental pictures of George belly-dancing) THERE IS NOT ENOUGH ANTISEPTIC IN THE STATE OF MA TO SAVE MY CORNEAS RIGHT NOW! (calms down) Ahem. Anyways. LOL. I don't understand the game Clue…maybe I'm just bad at it. And Yuusuke is starting to take into consideration the fact that maybe he's the killer without ever knowing it. Kudos to your ferret. Hehe. Yes, Kurama/Hiei-ness is cute. Too bad it got cut off…

**KyoHana: **I'm glad. Yeah…well, it's kind of emotional for the writer, too.

**Miss Kyoshi: **…ah, Kyoshi-dono, if it's not too much to ask, would you mind using capitalization in your next review? It makes it much easier to read…And you know I'm not allowed to say anything regarding your theory because that would be spoiler-y.

**Kuranga108: **Well…yeah. It is confusing. I don't really know what I'm doing, I've never written a multi-chapter horror fic before. And you might want to reconsider your suspects again. Sorry for the long wait.

**AngelKitsune: **Go me, I brought out your hyper side! (is quite proud of herself)

**theamazinghollowgirl: **Yeah, alright, go me! I can write mystery! LOL. Well, now Kurama's dead, too. Aw, and you think I'm an amazing writer? (brushes away tears of joy) You guys are too good.

**Twilight's Shadow: **Uh…Maybe I should run…you seem like the kind of person who will get quite angry if I torture Hiei…I always answer my reviews, silly. I just think it's a nice thing to do. It makes the readers feel more involved, and besides, it's a chance to sort of "talk" to you guys. Humor my self-esteem, I like to think I'm making friends. And wasn't that (and I quote) "stupid crappy joke" from that movie "Mean Girls"? I hated that movie…

**purplehairedwonder: **…oops. Did I forget to put a yaoi warning on this? Gah. I'm really sorry. At least you're sticking with the story.

**Nikki: **Yay for suspense! Hehehe. Ooh, "deliciously frightening". I love the way you word things like that. Sorry for the wait.

**SunStar Kitsune: **Hehehe.

**Blue Moon Fox: **(falls over from force of begging) Well…I can't tell. Sorry! Don't hurt me!

**Sarde Ladyloonatic **The last two chapters are coming. I'm not a speed machine, here. (pokes you) Patience is a virtue. See, I updated. I just need to take my time with these things.

**Yunaresuka:** Hey babe! I'm glad you like it. I updated, see? (is very proud of self) And as for dragging yourself to my house…is that a threat or a promise? (grin) Heh. Y'know, I had to think for a few seconds about that comment you made at the end, and then I remembered what I said in that review I left you. I'm a baka. Don't hit me with the fan, Sanzou! (ducks)

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Okay, guys. We're reaching the climax here. One more chapter to go! Excited yet? (grins) And I gotta say, you guys pay pretty nice compliments. (tries to fit her swollen ego through the door)

**Important:** As of June 27, there will be NO UPDATES on any of my work until late August, as I will be leaving for summer camp and won't have access to a computer. Sorry. I promise, when I come back, I'll have plenty of stuff for you guys.

See you all next time!


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